Weight loss remedies - My opinion on the subject

A little over a week ago, a journalist from a well-known newspaper here in the Federal District contacted me asking for my opinion on this subject: “weight loss drugs”. Well, I believe that the full text of what I replied to her can better clarify not only my point of view, but also the topic itself, for everyone's benefit. In order to help you, here is the interview, but first a few warnings and suggestions:

✅ Want to know more about what I think is really healthy weight loss? Read the content here on my website, especially the post on Healthy Slimming, available at this link: https://icaro.med.br/emagrecimento.

It's always important to stress the obvious, basic and fundamental: NO HEALTH results without healthy lifestyle habits. Read more about them at https://icaro.med.br/15habitos.

Medicines and treatments only help your body to achieve the expected (and possible) results, which will only come if you give your body and mind the conditions to function properly, especially water, oxygen, nutrients and detoxification. Never fall for the illusion, which is as commonly sold as it is harmful, that some supposed “magic remedy” can work miracles without you trying to live a healthier life. If you choose to delude yourself, you will surely discover, in the worst possible way, sooner or later, that you have only wasted time and health in the process of neglecting your body's needs.

The following answers represent my opinion on the subject, based on a lot of study (constant and up-to-date) and experience with thousands of patients treated in my office. However, they are in no way intended to be the absolute, unquestionable truth. On the contrary, comments and criticisms are always welcome, as they are necessary for any evolutionary process, for which I am grateful.

On the questions asked:

QUESTION: How do weight loss drugs work in the body?

There are basically four categories:

1️⃣ Those that reduce the absorption of fats and carbohydrates in the intestines, e.g. chitosan, orlistat, cassiolamine, faseolamine, psyllium.

2️⃣ Those that speed up the metabolism as a whole (and reduce appetite) “by force”, for example, amfepramone, sibutramine, femproporex, diethylpropion, Pholia magra. They cause the most side effects because they produce effects similar to those of adrenaline: increased heart pressure, heart rate, anxiety, agitation, etc.

3️⃣ Those that increase thermogenesis (energy expenditure to generate heat), e.g. Citrus aurantium, Garcinia, L-carnitine, Safflower.

4️⃣ Those that slow down digestion: Slendesta, Black Pholia, Irvingia Gambonensis. It's worth remembering that many of these substances fall into more than one basic category.

QUESTION: In which cases should they be used?

In my opinion, ONLY to help patients who already have healthy lifestyle habits (https://icaro.med.br/15habitos) or are trying to adopt them seriously, in their results. The use (and abuse) of “weight loss drugs” by people who don't improve their habits is associated not only with unsatisfactory results, but also with damage to health, as it “forces” the body beyond its limits, often without the proper counterpart of nutrients, water and adequate rest.

QUESTION: The sale of weight loss drugs is currently banned by Anvisa. What is your opinion on this?

Unfortunately, enforcement measures have not made it as difficult to access and abuse these drugs as would be necessary for the health of the population. I often see patients in my office who are looking for other, more “natural” alternatives, with fewer side effects, to lose weight or even to repair the damage caused by the inappropriate use of these drugs, such as anxiety, panic, depression, fatigue, the “accordion effect” and various organic disorders. I am therefore obliged to favor the most radical measure: a ban on “controlled” weight-loss drugs.

QUESTION: Is it possible to lose weight using only medicines like Sibutramine and Pholia Negra? What would be the consequences for people who choose to invest only in medicines, without exercise and a balanced diet?

Weight loss using these drugs alone, in someone with poor lifestyle habits, will be at the expense of losing not only fat but also water, minerals and even proteins, resulting in a loss of muscle and bone mass, for example. It is therefore unhealthy, stresses the body and tends to make the weight come back later, more in the form of fat - the so-called “accordion effect”. The body tends to accumulate so as not to “need” it again. In other words, the result tends to be bad, but when it is noticeable, it is associated with a great deal of wear and tear on the body, which can even become ill.

QUESTION: What's the difference between herbal medicines and drugs like Sibutramine?

The basic difference is that herbal medicines are plant extracts, while drugs like Sibutramine are synthetic, i.e. “chemical”, produced in a laboratory. Both can be associated with side effects, but these are usually more evident with the use of “chemicals”.

QUESTION: What is the correct way to use slimming remedies?

Undoubtedly, only under competent medical supervision, for a short period of time and always associated with improved lifestyle habits.

QUESTION: Are there any side effects during and after using this type of medication? What are they?

For sibutramine and the like, symptoms of “hyper-stimulation” are relatively common, for example: increased blood pressure and heart rate, headache, dry mouth, nausea, tremors, disturbed bowel function, sweating, anxiety, difficulty concentrating.

Cheers and HEALTH to all!